Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Genesis 14:22/רמב"ן על בראשית י״ד:כ״ב

אוְטַעַם הֲרִימֹתִי יָדִי אֶל ה' לְשׁוֹן שְׁבוּעָה, מֵרִים אֲנִי יָדִי לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן, וְכֵן "בִּי נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי" (בראשית כ"ב:ט"ז), נִשְׁבָּע אֲנִי, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית י"ד:כ"ב). וְכֵן מָצָאתִי בַּסִּפְרֵי (ואתחנן לג), מָצִינוּ בְּכָל הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמַּשְׁבִּיעִין אֶת יִצְרָן שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲשׂוֹת, בְּאַבְרָהָם הוּא אוֹמֵר "הֲרִימֹתִי יָדִי אֶל ה'". וְהִנֵּה הוּא כִּלְשׁוֹן "וַיָּרֶם יְמִינוֹ וּשְׂמֹאלוֹ אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם וַיִּשָּׁבַע בְּחֵי הָעוֹלָם" (דניאל יב ז). וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על בראשית י"ד:כ"ב) אָמַר "אֲרֵימִית יָדִי בִּצְלוֹ קֳדָם ה'", יֹאמַר הִתְפַּלַּלְתִּי אֶל ה' וְכַפַּי פְּרוּשׂוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם, אִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ, כְּלוֹמַר כֹּה יַעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֱלֹהִים וְכֹה יוֹסִיף אִם אֶקַּח. וְהַנָּכוֹן בְּעֵינַי כִּי אָמַר "הֲרִימֹתִי יָדִי אֶל ה'", לִהְיוֹת הֶקְדֵּשׁ וְחֵרֶם לְפָנָיו אִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ, כִּי הַהֶקְדֵּשׁוֹת יִקָּרְאוּ כֵן "תְּרוּמַת יָד", כִּלְשׁוֹן "כָּל מֵרִים תְּרוּמַת כֶּסֶף וּנְחֹשֶׁת" (שמות לה כד), "וְכָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הֵנִיף תְּנוּפַת זָהָב לַה'" (שם כב). וְאָמַר כֵּן בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁנָּתַן מִמֶּנּוּ מַעֲשֵׂר, כִּי כָל אֲשֶׁר יִקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ יִהְיֶה תְּרוּמָה לַה', לֹא יֵהָנֶה מִמֶּנּוּ דָּבָר. וּבִבְרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה מ"ג:ט'), עֲשָׂאָן תְּרוּמָה, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (במדבר יח כו) "וַהֲרֵמֹתֶם מִמֶּנּוּ תְּרוּמַת ה'":

1I HAVE LIFTED UP MINE HAND TO THE ETERNAL. This is an expression signifying an oath: “I lift up my hand to G-d Most High.”²⁰⁹, the sense is that of the present tense: “I lift up my hand.” Similarly, the verse, By myself have I sworn,²¹⁰ means “By Myself do I swear.” Thus the language of Rashi.I have found a similar text in the Sifre:²¹¹ 33. “We find in the case of all the righteous that they bring their inclination under oath in order not to do evil. In the case of Abraham, he says, I have lifted up mine hand to the Eternal.” It is thus similar to the verse, And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that liveth forever.²¹²But Onkelos said, “I have lifted my hand in prayer before the Eternal.” The intent of Abraham’s words according to Onkelos is: “I have prayed to G-d, with my hands spread forth toward heaven,²¹³ if I take anything that is thine.” That is to say, “G-d do so to me, and more also,²¹⁴, 2:23. if I take, etc.”The correct interpretation appears to me to be that Abraham said, “I have lifted my hand to G-d to make those things Sacred and Devoted²¹⁵ to Him, were I to take from that which is thine.” Declaring things to be sacred to Him is called in Hebrew “lifting of a hand,” just as in the verses: Every one that did lift up a heave offering of silver and copper;²¹⁶ and every man that offered a wave offering of gold unto the Eternal.²¹⁷, Verse 22. This Abraham said because having given a tenth of it to the priest, he declared that whatever he takes from the king of Sodom would be a heave offering to G-d, from which he would derive no benefit.In Bereshith Rabbah²¹⁸ it is similarly said, “Abraham made it a heave offering, even as it is said, And ye shall heave a heave offering of it for the Eternal.”²¹⁹